A Chance Meeting
by DavidRanger
Summary: A human helps Fox to recover from his injuries, and gets a new group of friends in the process. He thought he would never mend from losing his wife and son, but things have a way of changing the way you think...
1. Chapter 1 - Meeting Star Fox

I sat in my living room cleaning my weapon, a 2016 .223 AR-15. I looked out the window at my surroundings as I cleaned. My house was the last in a row of abandoned homes, next to a large field which used to be a forest. I still had electricity, powered by a propane generator that was attached to the house. The current government was gracious enough to give resources to all who needed it, without cost as long as the people contributed something significant. I served in the Army for a few years, deployed to Afghanistan, killed a few terrorists. They considered that sufficient. Anyone who volunteered for the military was regarded with much respect. I was just thankful for the help.

I sighed, a contented sigh. I'm thankful for peace, finally. WW3 did a number to the population. We currently have less than 100 Million on American soil right now. Most are in the larger cities, heavily defended. I helped in the war, killing as many ISIS members as possible. Someone took the liberty of dousing a few in pigs' blood and shooting them on camera. After that, no more ISIS. They surrendered all over the globe after that display. According to their laws, those murderers went to hell.

I've always been a weapons fan, gathering different firearms and blades throughout the years. I've purchased enough .223 rounds to fend off a 100,000+ man assault. Not to mention, I love my 12-Guage. I always…ALWAYS have my 9mm and .357 on me, along with my AR-15 when I venture outside my home. I smiled. Home. This is what I have. God, and my house. Home. I found an M203 in an alleyway some time ago, and raided the local abandoned armory for some 40mm grenades. My name is David Warring, and I'm 27. The local Wal-Mart still has enough canned goods to last till the next decade. I was set, physically.

Suddenly, I heard a _WHOOOM_ , followed by a long, loud rumbling. I cleaned the last bit of oil off my weapon and put it back together. My muscles worked faster than my hands. I subconsciously touched my cargo pocket, ensuring my Bible was there. I donned my DragonSkin, also obtained from the Armory, grabbed a magazine from one of its pockets, which then went into the rifle. I chambered a round and stepped outside. I saw nothing. Wait. Lights, coming from the field. I rushed back inside to the back room, the most fortified. It had cinderblocks all around the outside of it, to protect the payload I kept in there. I swapped my AR for the M203, swapped the magazine, and put the spare round in my cargo pocket. I grabbed my survival pack, a military-grade backpack with enough ammo and supplies to keep me alive for over a month. I stuffed five 40mm grenades in my right cargo pocket and put one in the 203. I donned my helmet, complete with NVG one-sight and headed out.

I took the back door this time. I crouched at the corner, looking through my sight. The lights were attached to a very large craft, obviously aerial. I saw the rear hatch was down, and no one was coming out of it. I activated my Land Warrior radar and pulled down the viewer. Two bogies at my 3 o'clock. I lifted it and turned to check. I saw a…fox on two legs? Pulling a cart of some kind, with…another…animal in it? MAN! I forgot to turn the lights off. They were coming straight for the front door. After they disappeared around the corner of the building, most likely to ring my doorbell, I started forward slowly, so as not to make a sound. Sure enough, _ding-dong_. Ok, so these things had intelligence. I got to the front corner of the house and saw the two foxes. Ok, whoa. Blood. I raised my weapon and chambered a round, as I forgot to do so prior to leaving the house. This prompted a gasp and a look from the obviously female fox pulling the cart. She saw me and raised her hand in a non-threatening manner. "We need help, please," She said. I almost fell over. Wow. They spoke English. I came from around the corner. "Identify yourself," I said in my military tone.

"I'm Krystal, this is Fox. He's badly wounded, and our medical bay is in shambles. Please."

"State your affiliation."

"Star Fox, of Corneria."

I eyed them suspiciously, but I didn't see any weapons on her. I walked cautiously to the cart. I turned the NVG mode to heat, and scanned the contents, all the while making sure I had her in my peripheral. No weapons. "All right. Any crazy moves and you'll have a crater in your chest," I promised.

"Thank you."

I said nothing as I opened the front door with my key. "Put him in there," I pointed to the living room. She had difficulty getting him up the step to my porch, so I assisted from the rear. "Thank you," she breathed. She moved him to the living room, and I moved the coffee table out of the way.

"Let's put him on the couch." She nodded. "1..2… _3!_ " We hoisted him up and I took off my pack. I took out my medical bag and asked Krystal to sit down, as she was hovering. As she did, I looked over Fox's body. Blood on his collar, left side. Not good. I took my flashlight out for a better look. Yep, on the neck, too. I got the surgical scissors out and cut the cloth away from the area. I tested the cloth around the bloody spot, and some fresh red started leaking out, but stopped when I stopped. "Good. His wound has sealed. Was it a main artery?"

"No." She shook her head. "Just the side of his neck."

"Anywhere else?" She shook her head. "Alright, I need your help." I pulled out the Hydrogen peroxide and a field bandage. "I'll take the cloth off, clean the wound and apply the bandage. I need you to hold it down for me once I put it on the wound. It will need a lot of pressure to keep the blood in." She nodded and knelt next to me. "Give me that small, dark green bag." I took it from her and opened it, revealing a tightly wound wad of cloth. I readied the HP, poured some on my hands to sanitize it, and held it over Krystal's. She obliged and copied me as I rubbed my hands together. I took the cloth off carefully but quickly, and blood started pouring out. Good, no gushing. At least it wasn't too long of a cut, but it was deep. I poured the HP on the wound, covering it in the luquid. I took the field bandage and applied it to the wound. "Your move." Krystal put her hand on the bandage and held it down. I took another out of the pack and saw that the blood stopped flowing down his fur. Good. I unwrapped the new bandage, placed it under Fox's right arm, pulled the extended cloth around, and held it over Krystal's hand. "Hold this." She did, and I took the other one around his shoulder. "Move your hand." I tied the two strips together, making the seal as tight as I could.

"He's not going to lose any more blood. Do you know if he broke anything?"

Krystal again shook her head. "We won't know until he wakes up."


	2. Chapter 2 - Lions!

I sighed as I laid down on my bed. I took a shower and put my clothes in the wash, and Krystal was in the living room with Fox, though I offered my guest room. I showed her the kitchen and guest bathroom, along with the linen closet. I thought about the blood on the couch from Fox and shrugged. A small sacrifice to save a life. I knelt by my bed and prayed, thanking God for helping me with Fox's care and Krystal's lodging, then prayed my daily devotion. I read my Bible for a few minutes, then snuck to the living room and checked on my guests. Sleeping soundly. I looked at Fox's wound again with my light. Nothing green or yellow around the bandage, good. I went back to my room and laid down.

I was woken by a male voice, "What do you mean?!" I heard Krystal say something, but couldn't make it out. I sat up, stretching. It was already morning. Good, a nice day to sleep in. I heard more unintelligible chatter between Krystal and the male, whom I assumed to be Fox, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps and a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I called. "It's Krystal. Fox wants to meet you," she replied.

"Alright. Be out in a minute." I heard departing footsteps. I got myself together, did my morning hygiene and got dressed. No need for military garb today. I grabbed a pair of tan slacks and a burgundy polo, with matching socks and tan Army-issue boots. When I rounded the corner to the living room, I saw that Fox was sitting up, still bandaged. My mind went through the necessities instantly. "Good morning. How's your wound?" I asked. Fox looked at me quizzically. "Uh, it hurts, but it's not bleeding," he responded.

"Does it ache?"

"No," he shook his head.

"Do you mind if I replace the bandage?"

Krystal spoke up, "Our medical bay has been returned to a manageable state. We're going to return to the Great Fox."

"Your ship?"

"Oh. Yes, sorry." Krystal blushed, obviously forgetting that I didn't know about them in detail.

I smiled. "No need to apologize. Would you care for something to eat before you go? Or something to drink?"

Krystal looked at Fox. His stomach rumbled and I chuckled. Fox blushed, too. "Yeah, something would be good af-"

They were interrupted by a beep. Fox opened the gauntlet on his right wrist. "What's up Falco," he asked.

"DUDE! WHERE IN THE - HAVE YOU BEEN!" I cringed inwardly at the language. I hated cursing, but tolerated it. Not many hated it on earth.

"Um…" He looked at Krystal. She picked up the cue, "A local resident patched fox up. We couldn't tend to him in the medical bay, remember? We're at the local's house now. He's pretty hospitable."

"Oh…" came the reply. "You could have let us know?!"

"Like you would have let me take Fox off the Great Fox on an unknown planet."

Silence.

"Thought so."

"So, what? You coming back, or still making buddy-buddy?" He sounded displeased, and that was putting it lightly.

"Falco, can it." Fox spoke up this time. "You wanna come say hi, or rant and rave?"

I heard a sigh. "Whatever. Shoot me your coor-"

"No need. First house on the right after you exit the Great Fox's bay," chimed Crystal.

"Whatever." With that, the sound of white noise of the comms link cut off.

Suddenly, I heard a beep again. Fox pressed a button. "Falco?"

"Uh, you wanna look outside?"

I shot out of the loveseat, grabbing the 9mm and chambering a round. I peeked out of the window. Sure enough, there was a pack of lions in front of the house. Man. "There's a pack of wild animals outside. They ain't small," I said. I went to the arms room and grabbed my M203 and DragonSkin. I loaded the hollow-point magazine into it and chambered a round. I grabbed some grenades and chambered one as well, then went to go outside. Krystal shot out of her seat. "You can't be serious?!" She shouted as she stopped me at the door. I shushed her, "You'll attract attention."

"You're not going out there."

"Says…?"

She had a look of motherly ire. "Me."

I chuckled. "Don't worry about it. They'll be dead in a few."

"WHAT?! You're going to kill innocent life?"

I looked at her. "They're attracted by his blood," I said, coolly. "They'll try to break-"

As if on cue, we heard a load roar, followed by the front door cracking from a blow.

"GET TO THE ROOM AT THE BACK- LEFT OF THE HOUSE! NOW!" Fox and Krystal quickly complied.

"Fox! We're coming down th-," I heard Falco, before the front door cracked a little more. I fired a few rounds through it, hopefully hitting something. I ran out the back door, passing the room Krystal and Fox were in. I ran to right, came up the side of the house and saw the lions. They were pacing back and forth, sniffing for blood. There was one, a female, on the ground bleeding. My hollow-points did their job. I leveled the grenade launcher and fired. I quickly jumped back and cleared the corner of the house just as I heard the explosion, and everything went black.

~~Fox's POV~~

I saw David running past us after he ordered us to this room. It had a LOT of different-looking weapons. I heard a loud explosion and shattering glass, followed by silence. We waited for what seemed like an eternity until we heard a growl, followed by the familiar sound of blasters. Then, _bdddom, bdddom_. A blaster again, but louder. I sighed thankfully. Someone brought a rifle. Then silence, followed by the front door getting kicked in. I braced myself for what would happen.

"Fox!" I heard Falco and breathed a sigh of relief. "Back here!" I shouted then came around the corner.

"Thank Corneria you're ok!"

"Yes, where's David?"

"Who? Oh the guy that shot that exploding thing. He's…uh…not moving."

Krystal shot past us to go out the back door and I followed. When I rounded the corner where she went, my heart went into my stomach. David was covered in blood. "Falco! Krystal! Take him to the medical bay, now!

I rushed into the Great Gox and called ROB as I did. "ROB, alien life-form coming to medical bay. Carried by Krystal and Falco. He is friendly."

 _Roger, friendly alien located...scanning…multiple shrapnel injuries to head and extremities, torso unharmed…scanning…chance of survival without med-_

"Just give me the chances with medical care."

… _scanning…97.23%_.

Alright. Prep the medical bay.

 _Affirmative._


	3. Chapter 3: Recovery

As I approached the ship, I saw Miyu and Fay come out from some bushes. Miyu had the rifle. We got to the medical bay first. "Where's Fara?" I asked. "She's watching the Radar," replied Fay.

"Good. Slip?"

"Lower level security."

"Perfect."

We heard shuffling feet followed by Krystal and Falco coming into view. They placed David on the first available table.

~~David's POV~~

I awoke to the sound of something… _swiiish, swiiish_ …I didn't bother opening my eyes just yet. I was too comfortable in my cozy bed. I heard a familiar beep, followed by, "Yeah Krys?" I recognize that voice…

"How's he doing?" That voice, too.

"Asleep. Looks like all his wounds are healed. You know you don't have to check on him every five minutes?"

"I know, it's just…I feel so bad…it's my fault he's hurt," I heard light sobbing, "I…I just want to hear him say he's okay." The female voice said through tears.

"I'm okay," I tried saying. I cleared my throat. "I'm okay."

"WHAAAAAAT?! FOX, I'MCOMINGUPTHERERIGHTNOW!"

I opened my eyes and turned my head in the direction of the noise. A fox on two legs, different than…oh yeah, Krystal was on the phone…er…wrist thing. Fox was in front of me.

"Hey bud," Fox said, smiling lightly. "How'dya feel?"

I grunted as I stretched. "Great. I feel well rested."

Fox chuckled. "Yeah, you were out for three days."

I snapped my eyes toward him. "What?"

Before he could explain, I heard that swiiish sound followed by a happy yip and a tackle from a blue fuzzball.

"Hey Krystal," I said, humored by the show of affection.

"I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry," she said.

"For what?"

"Never mind," Said Fox. "We'll get to that later. Hon? Let's go get lunch ready. David, your clothes are in the bathroom. You can join us when you're ready, if you're hungry." He pointed behind me.

"Thanks Fox. Um, where do I eat?"

"Turn left out of the door, hit the elevator, first floor, make a right. Can't miss it."

"Thanks Fox."

"No problem bud."

It took some self-convincing to get out of my very comfy bed. I guess I was on their ship now. I stretched again and found my clothes, grey pants with a lime-green polo. Iteared up a little when I saw it. I held it in front of me before putting it on. My bottom lip trembled, and I held back a sob.

…."Katina…" I said as a tear rolled down my cheek, "I miss you and little Eddie so much…I'll see you in Heaven." I remembered when I put this on last.

" _Honey, are you ready?"_

" _Yeah babe, one sec."_

" _We're gonna be late."_

" _I know I know. One sec."_

 _I left it alone, shaking my head. Women. Taking For. Ever. In the bathroom. Granted it was a photo shoot of our family. A family portrait._

" _Papi, look!" My 5 year old said as he held out his new Lego creation._

" _Whoa, Eddie, that's really cool! Where'd you learn how to make that?"_

" _Da box, papi."_

 _I smiled. My wife was Katina Gomez-Warring, Hispanic with beautiful Auburn hair, matching eyes and perfect tan skin. She taught our son Spanish every time she got. I insisted. More than one language was great to have. I always teased him that he was going to be a translator at our church one day._

 _We got to the photo studio on time, thankfully. We finished in record time. As we were paying for the photos, we heard on the radio, "_ Attention! All able hands, current or former military are to report to the nearest military location as soon as possible! FT Bragg is under attack! I say again, FT-" _….static._

 _I looked at my wife, and she knew that look. My eyes were grey. When my eyes are grey, pray to God you are not my enemy. My country was being attacked. We paid the studio and left quickly._

" _Get to ST Paul with your Mom. Pack as soon as we get home."_

" _But-"_

" _No buts!" I shouted. Then I spoke softly, "I'm opening the safe room as soon as we get home. I love you and Eddie too much to let anything happen to you. Even if my life is on the line, honey."_

 _Katina hung her head. The safe room was where my weapons were kept, along with survival supplies. I had stocked up as soon as we heard of ISIS coming to the US._

" _Okay", she whispered. "I love you too."_

 _We stole a kiss when we got home. Goldsboro, NC. I locked myself in the safe room, but not before hugging my little buddy. "You're the man of the house now. Keep your mom safe, ok?"_

" _Kay Papi. Papi? Are you coming wid us?"_

" _No, buddy. I'll see you in Minnesota or in Heaven, ok?"_

" _Ok Papi. Wuyyoo Papi."_

" _I love you too buddy," I said as we hugged one last time, all three of us. My adrenaline was through the roof. Tears were nonexistent. My Ranger blood was in control._

" _Stay safe, sweetheart," My wife said. We had been married for 6 years. This was it. I was likely to die defending my country. We locked lips one last time before parting._

 _One month later, in the Florida Everglades, we were pushing ISIS back. We were in camp and I was at the gate. We had our personal radios out to hear the news across the nation._

"… _ISIS Heavy Artillery hit ST Paul, MN today, about two hours ago. The blast was reported to be felt all the way to the Wisconsin border…" I hit my knees… "No…I was supposed to die first…"_

" _Sgt?" I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to my Captain. "Take a day, bud." He knew my family was there._

" _Sir. No sir."_

" _That's an order Sgt. Go cool down in my bunk, sleep and pray or whatever you do. I know you guys are rotating in bunks out here."_

" _Sir. Yes Sir."_

I snapped out of my memory as I nicked myself with my razor. The guys had found all my hygiene stuff, as well as a full change of clothes. I wiped tears from my eyes and the blood from the nick. I remembered a saying I had made up a while ago and recited it.

"Focus on the past, and you will destroy yourself. Focus on the unknown future, and you will worry yourself to death. Focus on right now and the **certain** future, and you will be strengthened."

I silently thanked God for helping me through these last two years alone. Once ISIS surrendered, the military allowed us to separate willingly, with or without papers. It really didn't matter. There weren't many people…well, any in Goldsboro anymore. The closest propane station was outside the city limits, a few miles away.

I walked out of my room and to the elevator. Time to eat and meet the rest of the crew.


	4. Chapter 4: Introductions

~~Fox's POV~~

"Hey Krys, hand me that." A can of seasoning came my way. "Thanks."

"No problem honey."

"Hey David!" I said as our newest guest walked in. "We are almost done here. Make yourself comfy."

"Thanks Fox," he said shyly. "I really appreciate this."

"Oh it's no bother. After everything you did for us, this is the LEAST we can do." I saw my wife's ears droop a little at that. "Krys, you really have to stop beating yourself up over that," I whispered.

"But it's my fault," she said, her tail slowly losing altitude. Suddenly, two muscular, furless hands rested themselves on her shoulders. "He's right, Krystal. If you focus on the past, it will destroy you. If you focus on the unknown future, it will worry you to death. If you focus on right now, it will strengthen you. Nothing you did was in ill will, so there is NOTHING bad to forgive. Is that understood, young lady?" I smiled at the last part. David had a mock fatherly tone to him as he said it. I saw Krystal tense from the contact then relax when she realized who it was. She smiled and hugged David quickly after she turned around. "Thank you," she whispered. He looked at me for approval of the situation, his hands now at his sides. I winked and nodded. She needed this.

~~David's POV~~

After my second hug from Krystal in an hour, I sat down and waited for the crew to walk in. I deduced she and Fox had something going. Whether it was marriage or not, I didn't know. I just wanted to steer clear of any bumpiness that could be caused by even the slightest bit of over familiar contact, even a hug that lasted a little too long.

One by one, they started coming in. Fox introduced me to each one. Slippy: mechanic, engineer and pilot.

Fay: Techie whiz and pilot. Super good with a blaster, as I learned their pistols were called.

Miyu (she winked at me...a little too slow for comfort): Sniper, Ace pilot and flirt on board. The last title of course elicited a glare from the Lynx.

Falco: second in command to Fox, Ace pilot, awesome at navigating rough terrain, walking mouth-in-a-can. He also glared.

Fara: whoa. I mean, she wasn't as striking as Miyu or Krystal, but the SOFTNESS, gentleness and modesty that she emonated was intoxicating. Wait. I shook my head. What was I thinking? Alien, hello David? Ship Navigator, Ace pilot.

Krystal: Fox's wife, telepath, hand to hand specialist, pilot.

Fox: Great Fox/Star Fox commander, ace pilot.

"Lunch is served fellas," Fox said as he set the plates on the table.

I was liking this crew already. I prayed over my food and dug in, as I saw the others were already eating.

"Hey, David, thanks for everything you did down there," said Falco. I looked up and smiled. "It's no problem."

"Uh, dude…you lost enough blood to replace more than half of what's in your body. It kinda _is_ our problem now. You're one of us now, whether you like it or not." He slid a wrist comm, as I learned they were called, over to me. "Welcome to Star Fox, kiddo."

I smiled. Mouth in a can, alright. "Wait, I lost over half my blood?" I was shocked. I shouldn't be alive.

"Yeah, it was weird, though. You had almost all your blood when we got you to the bay. When Miyu and I went to clean up the bodies and such, there was enough blood where you were standing to fill a half-gallon jug."

I shook my head. "Yeah, weird. Unless some of it was lion's blood?"

"Nah, we tested it. Definitely all you."

"Uh, guys?" Fox spoke up. "We're…kind of eating…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Fox!" I exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it," said Falco. "Pushover," he muttered, glaring at Fox. He just chuckled.

"So, David, do you mind telling us how you did it? How you saved Fox?" asked Slippy.

I looked at my new commander for approval. He didn't quite get my drift. "May I?" A shocked looking vulpine resulted from the comment. "Uh, um, yeah, it's, uh, not like, uh, you're, uh…sure."

I chuckled and turned to Slippy. I recounted everything, leaving out the part where Krystal told me to stay inside.

Slippy's already huge eyes were now bulging. "Whoa…" he whispered.

"It's nothing man. I was just doing my job." At that, the whole team stopped and looked at me. "What?"

"David, that's what we say when we help others, too," said Fox in a now serious tone. "Do you want to know more about Star Fox, and possibly join, if you're interested?"

I put my hands in my lap and twiddled my thumbs. "I…I would…love to Fox, but…I really need to be open with you, first. Can we talk about it privately later? At my house?"

He nodded. "Sure thing Dave." I smiled. I was definitely going to like being with these guys.

Falco, whom I also learned maintained the arms room, helped me locate my gear. My armor was barely knicked. "That's Dragonskin for you," I thought out loud.

"That's what that's called?" Asked Falco.

"Yep. Best thing since TM alloy."

"TM?"

"Titanium/Magnesium. It's what my world uses for advanced vehicle armor."

"Ah."

I opened my wrist comm and called up Fox. "Hey Dave," he said. "Ready when you are, boss," I replied.

"Don't call me that, please. I'm just Fox."

"Ok. See you at the hangar."

We got to my house and I noticed that they _did_ do a GREAT job cleaning up. There was no trace of lions or me. We were careful to not be caught off guard though. It seemed Fox knew what I was doing as I cleared the house, as he followed suit. I sighed with relief when I found the safe room completely unharmed. I couldn't say that about the living room and kitchen though. That grenade did a number. I slid my M203 off my shoulder and sat down on the bed in my room. "Got a sec, Fox?"

"Sure thing bud." He sat down next to me. I took a deep breath before I started. I explained how I was raised by a loving family, both of my parents are in Dallas, alive. I told him how I married my high school sweetheart at 19, right after I graduated basic training in the Army. Our son was born a year after we married. I was a Ranger in the Army and would go on missions twice a year or more. I stayed at the rank of Sergeant. I didn't plan on making a career out of the Army. After the Army, I worked for the government stateside, for the SSA. Simple, but good pay. I went into detail about my shirt, and the memory I dredged up that morning. I was crying softly as I finished.

"So, that's it Fox. This town is abandoned. It's just me. You guys have been my first real friends in over two years." I sniffed and wiped a tear. "I've…looked out for others my whole life…" I was beginning to cry more earnestly, "I guess it's time for me to be looked after." I was now full out sobbing. It felt good. I was finally letting go. Of Katina, Eddie, the battle buddies I lost in Afghanistan and from WW3. I was finally letting go. "I…" I continued as I composed myself, "I would be honored to be under your guidance, CDR McCloud," I said as I stood up with a salute. "Sergeant David Raymond Warring, reporting for duty sir."


	5. Chapter 5: Unwelcome Guests

~~3 Weeks Later~~

I was in the bridge, watching the radar. I couldn't sleep, as I had a certain fennec fox on my mind. She was alluring. I wanted to say something, but: 1) I didn't want to overstep any bounds and 2) I just couldn't muster the courage. The past three weeks have been great. I joined Star Fox, I was in the process of showing Falco how to use my weapons, and I was slated for hand-to-hand training with Krystal soon. I asked Fox if she could wear something that didn't look like swimwear. I was uncomfortable around her, to say the least. Then to be physical? Uhhh no thanks.

Fox allowed me to take my F-250 and everything in my house that wasn't furniture. I asked Slip if he could replicate the ammunition I had, and he said he would give it a try. I had enough concentrated Diesel gel to last me for a very long time. I lent Slippy my DIY mechanic book so he could get familiar with how the truck worked. He really loved fixing things. I was brought from my thoughts by a blip on the radar. I called Fox.

 _Beep_ – " _Yawn_ Sup Dave?" He said as he answered.

"4 bogies incoming. ROB, zoom in and ID, please."

… _scanning…ID withheld…_

"Great. Fox, is the color scheme of red and silver significant?"

He cursed. "It's Star Wolf. They're going to land in the bay. I'll call the team to respond. You stay out of this, bud. It could get dangerous."

"I take it they're enemies?"

"Yeah, only on the most wanted list in Corneria."

"Aha. Hey Fox. Let me show you what I was trained to do as a ranger. Close and lock the hangar's blast doors when they land, and cut the lights. I'll handle it from there."

"But-"

"Remember when I flipped Falco when he pretended to be gay?"

"I-Ok. I don't know why, but I've got this gut feeling, David that you'll be alright. We need them…preferably alive, but dead or alive. The biggest one has a deflector. It will shoot any projectile back at you. Be careful."

"Thanks, Fox. I'll radio when all is clear." I closed my comm.

I looked at the location of the incoming ships. ETA 10 minutes, perfect. I grabbed 6 grenades (2 smoke, 2 CS, two WP) from the arms room, my 9mm w/silencer, combat knife, dragonskin, helmet with NVG and Land Warrior sights, gas mask, zip ties and several hand towels from the kitchen.

I went to the bay, closed the inside door and waited. They came in, supposedly unnoticed. I made sure to stay hidden behind some barrels. No sooner had they landed then the doors closed behind them and the lights were out. I opened up a smoke grenade and let it loose. I activated my heat vision and saw them get out.

"Ok, ok, let's get this over with."

"Hey, what's with that smoke?"

"I don't smell nutin. Must be a decoy."

"Yeah. Stupid…wait…I can't see!"

"You're a panther! You can't see in the dark?"

"I can't see past the smoke!"

"Whatev-ah! No! NOOO!, Plea-mpppf." _Zip. Zip._ I pulled the Chameleon away, bound and gagged him.

"Leon? Leon?!"

"Huh? Mph! MHHMM! MHHMMMM!" _screeeeeech_. The cat was next, her claws scraping the floor. _Zip. Zip._

"Cat! Man…Pigma, Panther, back to back!"

Two down. I donned my mask, popped the CS grenade and set it next to the huddled group.

"What's tha-cough-cough-man! Ack!" The one on the left fell down away from the group. "No-ackckckck-" _squeeaaaaaaaak._ Panther. _Zip. Zip._

Three down. The remaining two were holding their breath. I hit the pig from the side, causing him to exhale and inhale automatically. "Cough-ack-cough-show-cough-yours-NO!-ackckckck-" _Zip. Zip._

One left. Holding his breath for a while now. I saw a dark spot on his belt through my heat NVG. That must be his device. _Shing_. Out comes the knife. I saw him turn towards the sound and charge. Too easy. I tripped him and he fell with an "Ooof! Cough-ack-cough-no-cough-fair-Ooof! I landed on his back with my knees. _Zip._ Brought his leg up pig-tie style, just as with the others. He was struggling.

"If you want to live, stop right now."

"Cough-curse-cough-Ah!" A good two to the face with the butt of my pistol shut him up then I got his leg up after I cut it. "Ah-Cough-ahhh!-you-cough," _Zip_ , "litt-cough."

"Fox, this is David. You can open the doors and clear the air. All five are detained.

"Good job bud. We're all here at the inside door to the bay."

"The coughing smoke is still strong. Wait for my signal."

"Roger."

~~Fox's POV~~

I couldn't see anything on the screen after the bay went dark. I then heard terrified screams, followed by coughing, then Wolf getting what he deserved. Once David cleared the bay for entrance, I was shocked. All 5 of Star Wolf laid in the corner, hands behind their backs and one leg tied to the hands. Falco whistled. David handed me a belt with…Wolf's deflector. I smiled. "Good job, Dave." He nodded quickly without changing his demeanor and returned to guarding the prisoners. This guy was a trained assassin. I'm glad he's on our team. Wolf tried saying something; I couldn't quite make it out because of his gag. "What was that, Wolfy?" I started laughing, followed by my teammates. David cracked a smile and chuckled.

We arrived at Corneria within a few hours, our prisoners now detained properly in the brig. "David, I need you on the bridge. I'm going to introduce you to General Pepper."

"Roger. On the way."

"ROB, bring up transmission to Pepper."

 _Affirmative._

A few seconds later I saw the screen populate with Pepper's face. "Fox! We were worried sick about you, old friend!"

"I'll explain later. We have a new member on the team."

"Really? Who would that be?"

"He rescued me on his home planet. He's proved himself to be a valuable ally." As I spoke, the bridge door opened and David walked in. He stopped and saluted sharply when he saw the general on screen. "General Pepper, this is Sergeant David Warring, of the planet Earth."


	6. Chapter 6: Confessions

~~Fara's POV~~

It had been three weeks since our arrival back in Corneria City, and David was adjusting nicely. He got 200,000 credits for single-handedly handing Star Wolf's butts to them. We cleaned up a spare room at the HQ for him to have and he was very grateful. He insisted that we didn't have to go through all this, but Fox and especially Krystal insisted. There was a massive broadcast about a new member of the Star Fox Team being a new race we had never encountered before, so that made it easier for him to walk about without having people fear him unnecessarily. He and Falco got along great because of his extensive knowledge - and cache - of firearms. Turns out he's a bit of a techie too, and has gotten in deep technological conversations with Slippy and Fay that would give anyone but them a headache. Miyu tries to flirt with him constantly, keeping to her nickname given by Fox. He...avoids me though. I noticed when we first arrived on Corneria and tried getting him to open up to me, but to no avail. That's what I was conversing with Miyu in the gym about.  
"Maybe, unh! he, unh! likes, unh! you," she said between bench presses. I lifted the barbell and put it on the rack then turned the gravity weights off. "You have got to be joking," I said looking down at her, bemused. "That's as likely as you and Slippy hooking up."  
"Hey. Better him than that feathered snob." She got up and grabbed a workout towel which she dried her sweat with then draped it over her shoulders. With her hands on her hips, she shrugged. "Maybe you should ask him."  
"WHAT!? We barely know him-"  
"He saved Fox and Krystal's lives."  
"Ok, and?!"  
She sat down on the bench she had just been working out on. "I think he's pretty cool, that he'll accept just about anything you say."  
A new voice interrupted us. "Oh! I'm-I'm sorry...I'll come back la-"  
"We're just finishing up, sugar," Miyu said and walked out, giving me a look. Of all people to interrupt us, it had to be him. David stood at the threshold of the gym, finding anything but me to lay his eyes on. I raised an eyebrow as he started whistling a random tune, and chuckled. "Hey, David," I said quietly, letting Miyu's words roll around in my head. He snapped his head in my direction, somewhat startled...no...nervous. He was nervous. "Oh, hey Fara." He attempted a halfhearted smile. I walked over to him and put my paw on his shoulder. He had lowered his head again and was staring at the floor. "David, what's wrong? Why have you been avoiding me?"  
He sighed and turned away, walking back to the main part of the house, most likely to his room. "David, wait!" I ran after him and caught up as he stopped in the hallway when I called out to him. "Please. You need to open up, or else you'll hurt more. Please. You're hurting _me_ David by acting this way. What have I done?"  
He shook his head, "Nothing," and took a deep breath followed by, "You uh, wanna go outside?" as he looked sheepishly at me.  
I smiled and nodded.

I usually wear more clothes than the average girl when I exercise. For instance, I like the feel of sweat cooling me down all over, so I wear pants or a long skirt with a short or long sleeved shirt. Well, now that I think about it, just about all the time. When we got outside David sat down on a bench by the bird bath fountain and looked away from my direction, at the birds.  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said. "The birds playing in the fountain, backdropped against the rising sun." he turned to me after I sat down and continued. "They're carefree. If..." his voice cracked as he wiped away a tear and looked down. "If...they lose their mate, they just go out and find another one, simple as that, well, for most birds." He fiddled with his fingers.

"You lost someone."

He turned his head to me again, a hurt look on his face. He let the tears flow freely now, uninhibited. He took a shuddering breath. "Yes."

"And, that's why you're avoiding me?" I was, to say the least, slightly confused.

"Not the whole reason." He was resting his elbows on his knees, fiddling with a flower he had plucked.

"You don't have to-"

"I need to." He looked at me in the eyes. Those ice blue spheres captivated me for a brief second before I shook myself mentally.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He paused, then leaned back and looked up at the slowly brightening sky. "Her name was Katina. I thought I was over her, but…" he took a breath, "every time I see you, I think of her."

My eyes widened. "But why?" I leaned in a little. I was very interested.

"I…know this might seem strange, or even illegal, but I like you, Fara. A lot. You remind me of her in every way. Her laugh, her humor, the way she corrected me," he chuckled. "You're a lot like her, Fara. And, I can't shake that."

He didn't notice that I had scooted closer, as his eyes were closed.

"I wish I could. I've prayed, I've-"

I wrapped my right arm around him in an embrace, looking at him softly. He looked at me quickly, shocked. He shook his head and barely got the words out, "Fara…I…"

"Shhh…" I said, putting a finger to his lips. "It's fine. Just sit here for a second. Let's watch the clouds."

He smiled lightly. "Is this a date?"

I shrugged. "It can be. Multiple species date all the time in Lylat."

His grin got wider and he put his left arm around my back in the same manner I had done to him. "That would be nice."


End file.
